


First Day Jitters

by icarusmoon



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: Awkward Crush, F/M, Fluff, Series: Trollhunters (Tales of Arcadia)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:07:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29100006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icarusmoon/pseuds/icarusmoon
Summary: Somehow, Jim didn’t think those tips would take him very far at Arcadia Oaks. For one thing, he wasn’t a handsome reality star (or even an average-looking reality star). No one had a crush on him, as far as he could tell. He hadn’t been invited to any wild parties, or been involved in any love triangles. He was just Jim.(Or: It's the first day of school, and Jim starts crushing on Fair Claire.)
Relationships: Jim Lake Jr./Claire Nuñez
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	First Day Jitters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eugeneismyqueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eugeneismyqueen/gifts).



> This is a birthday gift for the amazing @eugeneismyqueen! Read her fics and send her some love today, because she deserves the world. <3 Happy birthday, Emily! I love you bunches.
> 
> Huge thanks to @PurpleReine for the title!

Jim didn’t know how to talk to girls. 

He  _ wanted _ to talk to girls. He wasn’t interested in anyone in particular, but according to Toby, dating in high school was a must. The fact that they were about to start their sophomore year and had never been on a real date was a travesty. Mary Wang, for instance, had already been on several dates, and never let anyone forget it. She had been posting pictures of Tight Jeans Hank for weeks. 

“Soon we will be the only guys at Arcadia Oaks who have never dated anyone!” Toby said. He wheeled his bike towards the school’s bike rack, locking it with more force than necessary. “And then we’ll never be popular!” 

“That’s not true. Eli Pepperjack has never had a date, either.” 

Toby stared at him. “Oh, yeah,” he said sarcastically. “We definitely want to be in the same social circles as  _ Eli Pepperjack.” _

“Eli’s nice,” Jim said as He secured his bike. “Really, what is with you, Tobes?” 

“Nothing! I just want it to be the best year ever!” 

Toby had certainly been making more of an effort to make sure their sophomore year wasn’t a disaster. He had helped Jim coordinate their schedules so they had several classes together. He also had a running list of girls he was interested in, and often gave Jim all the dating tips he had picked up from his Nana’s reality TV shows.

Somehow, Jim didn’t think those tips would take him very far at Arcadia Oaks. For one thing, he wasn’t a handsome reality star (or even an average-looking reality star). No one had a crush on him, as far as he could tell. He hadn’t been invited to any wild parties, or been involved in any love triangles. He was just  _ Jim _ . 

But Toby was right: the first day of school was always a mess, and Jim didn’t really want to repeat any embarrassing moments from freshman year. 

Not that he had had any embarrassing moments. Nope. None at all. 

A loud, cheerful voice drew Jim back to reality. Mary Wang was already snapping photos of their first day. 

“Hashtag Arcadia Oaks High. Hashtag Moles. Hashtag sophomore year!” Mary narrated as she tapped on her phone. “Posted! C-Bomb, get in this next pic!” 

Jim raised an eyebrow. Who was C-Bomb?

“I’ll be right there!” 

C-Bomb was none other than Claire Nuñez, who waved goodbye to the group of theatre kids she was talking to before joining Mary. Claire giggled and tucked a loose strand behind her ear as Mary acted as photoshoot director. She had a very nice smile, Jim noticed. 

“Did you notice my new shirt?” Claire asked. “Papa Skull! They finally have merch for their  _ Hamlet  _ album! And it’s pink!” 

“It’s totally perfect for you, C-Bomb,” Mary said. Claire beamed. “OMG. Wait. Where’s Darci? We need a picture of the three of us!” 

Jim swallowed and nudged Toby with his elbow. “Has Claire always been that cute?”

Toby scowled. “Sure,  _ now _ you want my opinion!” 

“It mattered before!” Jim protested. They both headed for their lockers (fortunately, they were able to snag lockers next to each other, too) as the first bell rang. “It just...wasn’t as applicable.” 

Not that it would be applicable now, either. Claire had always been one of the popular kids--she was funny and smart, and always got the lead in the school plays. There was something about her--like she was magic, or a force to be reckoned with. She had once smiled at him in the hallway, but he would be seriously shocked if she even knew his name. Jim generally admired Arcadia Oaks royalty from afar. 

There was no way she’d ever pay attention to him. 

* * *

Jim’s first day as a sophomore was relatively uneventful. Teachers went over their syllabi. Eli Pepperjack tried to convince Steve Palchuk that he had seen terrifying monsters wandering the streets of Arcadia at night. Toby made sarcastic comments during class. Jim couldn’t help but wonder if sophomore year was bound to be just as boring as the last. There had been no sign of Claire since that morning, either. 

Toby, however, was still optimistic. 

“It’s only the first day! And we still have history!” 

Jim frowned as they walked into Mr. Strickler’s classroom. “I guess you’re right,” he said, taking his seat next to Toby. 

And then his jaw dropped. 

Claire was in the same history class. 

She was sitting just a few rows away, next to Mary and Darci. They were talking and laughing, just like they had been earlier that day. 

“Tobes,” Jim hissed. “It’s Claire!” 

Toby grinned. “What’d I tell ya, Jimbo?” 

Maybe Claire would notice him after all. 

“Alright, everyone, settle down!” Strickler instructed. He passed around the syllabus and made a joke that made the class laugh half-heartedly. Jim didn’t hear it. He was too busy staring at Claire, and then telling himself that he shouldn’t stare. He didn’t want her to think he was creepy before he had even gotten the chance to talk to her. 

He made a mental note to ask Toby for more advice after school. 

It was stupid. He didn’t even know Claire. Not really. 

But he knew that she had made him smile, and that his heart was pounding uncomfortably against his chest. He knew that he had  _ noticed  _ something he never had before, and he couldn’t bring himself to un-notice. 

Girls were kind of infuriating. 

“Mr. Lake?”

“Huh?”

Jim’s gaze snapped back to the front of the room, only to find Mr. Strickler glaring at him. 

“Are you with us?” Mr. Strickler asked. “Or should we send you to the nurse’s office for a nap?”

Snickers echoed throughout the classroom. 

“Oh. Um. Yeah,” Jim said, trying not to show how flustered he was. “I mean, no. I’m fine.” 

“Please read the second paragraph on the second page.” 

Jim cleared his throat and read the designated paragraph out loud, all while desperately praying that Claire couldn’t see that his cheeks were burning bright red. He made an effort to stare straight ahead, occasionally glancing down at his syllabus. Fortunately, the rest of the class went on without any more embarrassing mishaps. As soon as the last bell rang, Jim sprang out of his seat. 

“Day one complete,” Toby said with a sigh. “We made it, Jim.”

“Yeah,” Jim muttered. He slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Barely. Let’s get outta here.”

He beelined for the door, but in his rush to leave, he bumped straight into Claire. 

“Oh, gosh! Sorry!” 

“No, it’s okay!” Jim said. He could feel himself starting to blush. Again. “It was my fault. Go ahead.”

“So...Strickler can be kind of harsh, huh?” Claire asked as they headed out the door. Jim glanced back at Toby, who gave him a thumbs-up. 

“What? Oh. Yeah.” 

“I was kinda falling asleep too,” Claire admitted. She grinned. “The first day of school is no joke.” 

“Yeah. Totally.”

Claire cocked her head, as though she wasn’t sure how to handle Jim’s awkward replies. 

_ Nice going Jim _ , he thought to himself.  _ Use your  _ words! _ She’s going to think you’re a total idiot! _

But she was still smiling.   


“Well...I should get going,” Claire said. “I’m getting a ride home from Darci. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

She waved and headed after Mary and Darci, leaving a grinning, dumbstruck Jim behind her. 

Claire talked to him.

Claire actually  _ talked  _ to him. 

Sophomore year was already looking up.   
  



End file.
